Women Executives: Leadership Role Models (Part 1)
If you think 21st century women have it made as top flight executives, Chief Executive Officers and the ultimate holy grail of governance as Chairman of the Board of a multi national corporation, think again.
Male captains of industry have been fortunate to have so many outstanding male examples to model as they ascend the corporate ladder. In fact there is an embarrassment of riches with regards to asking and getting a strong and positive mentor to help them grow and develop into the top job.
The same cannot be said for females. Women executives in leadership positions are few and far in between according to some statistics I uncovered.
A 2008 Australian Census of Women in Leadership published by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency found that the number of women on boards and executive management of Australia’s top 200 ASX (Australian Stock Exchange) companies could be counted on fingers on one hand (with one digit to spare).
The percentage of women as Chairman and CEOs were 4 of 200 (2.0%) in each category; board of directors numbered 125 of 1504 (8.3%).
There was no female on the board of directors in 51 % of these ASX 200 listed companies.
Because we see more women in business suits today (than say in the 1950s) there is an assumption that they must occupy executive management positions. The reality is that there are more women in middle management positions in human resources, finance, medical and health administration, and real estate and property businesses today than any other time.
However, at the pointy end i.e., top management where the real game is played, women are under represented.
In 2010, only 2.8 percent of Fortune 500 chief executives were female.
I believe that sisters need to do it for themselves.
Specifically they need strong, smart and compassionate female role models to help them navigate their way through the management maze.
How will they do this? I will discuss some strategies in my next post.
Yours in health, wealth and happiness
Book Review-7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness
A timeless classic by Jim Rohn a motivator extraordinaire, that is written in an easy reading style for anyone who has had enough of being average (read beige) and wants a better life.
This includes health, material success and most importantly a deeply satisfying sense of contentment.
Click here to listen Book Review-7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness
or read on
Jim Rohn’s own journey started when at the age of 25 he met his mentor Earl Schoaff who asked him the uncomfortable question of where his life was headed.
To his credit, Rohn replied with an honest “No where” and that was the start of the years of learning everything he could from his mentor.
He has distilled his years of experience into the seven strategies of goal setting, being a sponge and soaking it up, having the determination to change and forming new habits, staying on top of your spending, making time a priority, seeking out like minded associates and learning the art of living well.
These strategies if faithfully applied are your keys to a magnificent life.
The Secret of Success
The secret is that there is no secret.
Click here to listen to the full 60 minutes Audio of Secret of Success on my program \”Your Money and Your Mindset\”
Below is the synopsis if you can’t wait!
It is a series of sequential steps that anyone can take if they so choose and success will almost be guaranteed.
Step1: write down your goals on a piece of paper. Just thinking about it means that what you desire is still an intangible concept.
The magic starts when your goals take on a physical form.
Use the SMART method as a guide to help you (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timeframe)
Step 2: start moving-literally get off from where you are sitting and start doing (this constitutes activity).
The good thing is that motion will quickly tell you if you are heading in the right direction towards your goals or not.
It is essentially a feedback mechanism that indicates to you in no uncertain terms if you are on the right track.
Step 3: know that there is an art to setting goals. The most efficient way is to divide them into four sections and I have listed some examples in each category i) physical (losing weight or getting fit); ii) mental (attending professional development courses to improve your career prospects); iii) emotional (making time to regularly spend with people who are important in your life) and iv) spiritual (communing with Nature and getting in touch with you, the real person).
Step 4: create a vision board or goal book where on one page you have images and pictures of your goals and on the facing page, write in the present tense what achieving this goal looks, feels, smells and tastes like. Always have a start and finish date, and a reward for when you reach that goal.
Investing the emotional energy into this activity engages your subconscious into putting you in the right spot (sometimes literally) for the opportunities as they present themselves to you.
And here is the real bonus, as you go about on a daily basis achieving small victories in regard to the steps you take towards achieving your goals, you discover your life purpose.
This is the person you were always meant to be.
Yours in health, wealth and happiness
Financial Education for Kids: 3 Tips For A Great Start
I believe that you are never too young to learn how to wisely manage your money.
Just imagine if this was a compulsory subject taught in grade school would the global financial crisis have been less severe if not altogether avoided?
That wasn’t a rhetorical question, folks.
Instead, what we have in our education system is the mantra that is continuously drilled into our heads that we should knuckle down, study hard and get good grades so that we can find ourselves secure jobs that see us to retirement.
Anybody notice what is wrong with the previous statement?
For one thing, the employment landscape has changed so much in the last 25 years that if you are 22 years old and reading this, you will very possibly be on to your third job before you reach 30.
The pace at which technology is changing and the rate business models are evolving means that you may want to revise your thoughts on having only one job for life.
So, back to the topic at hand; as parents how do you model to your kids on the issue of money. This means that what you say, and do with the money you earn will to a large degree determine how your children deal with their own hard earned when they are old enough to do so.
Here are some tips to get them on the right track
1. The 70:20:10 Rule
Disciplined saving of 30 cents into the piggy bank for every dollar that they get as pocket money or for the older kids what they make on paper rounds etc.
Explain to them that they are allowed to spend 70 cents on anything they want but 20 cents has to go into the bank.
Kids will ask why and the answer is that it is seed money that they will lend the bank and the good thing is that the bank has to pay them extra (interest) for borrowing their money. This is empowering for your child to know that they are doing the banks a favour, not the other way around
2. Tithing: the other 10 cents
This 10 cents teaches your child the idea of giving to charitable causes and creates generosity of spirit. One great way is to discuss with your kids that by tithing they can help people less fortunate then themselves and it makes for a better community when everybody pitches in. It is a fantastic way to build your child’s self esteem.
3. Delayed gratification
We all want it NOW!
Advertisers know how to push all the right buttons but as we have seen, there are a lot of under 25’s who are declared bankrupts from using the instant credit offered by retailers for the latest gadgets only to find that they cannot repay the debt.
Personally I think that having a bad credit rating is as bad as having STD; no one will want to do business with you and even worse when you realise that you had the chance to buy into a great business but cannot get finance to do so.
If your child desperately wants something now, and has the money saved ask them to sleep on it for 2 whole days before they go to the store to get it.
It is not being cruel to your child, but getting them to think about their wants versus their needs.
Above all, have open and honest communication with them about money-it’s not a dirty word.
Yours in health, wealth and happiness
Goodbye Corporate World, Hello My Own Heart Centered Successful Business
Hello all
I had the pleasure of interviewing Blanca Vergara sometime ago. Her story is inspiring, and I hope it will give you that little push to take action and change the course of your life.
Enjoy the read and click on the live link at the end to hear her truth.
Blanca Vergara had it all- the power, prestige, a plum executive management position in one of Europe’s leading companies. But that was not enough and eventually she broke free of the golden handcuffs to start her own executive business performance consultancy.
She listened to her internal wisdom, one that manifested spectacularly as a vivid dream, so startling that in her own words, she ‘jumped out of bed to write this vision down”.
Having found her authentic self Blanca’s business underwent an extraordinary growth, as her perfect clients began beating a path to her door.
Today she coaches people who recognize that they want more in their lives and have up until now been trading their life force for a paycheck.
Her clients are people who want to follow their passion and purpose and make a meaningful contribution to this world.
She guides and leads them in this transition process where their souls are enriched as they do what really moves their heart whilst giving them the practical marketing, positioning and business tools to not only survive but thrive in their chosen business niche.
If you a budding heart centered entrepreneur who is ready for the next step, this is a sign to connect.
Interview with Ms Blanca Vergara (unlinked)
Yours in health, wealth and happiness
Entrepreneurial Spirit of Me Inc
We are AGAINST scarcity that says that everything you receive was forcibly taken from somebody else.
Entrepreneurship is about making new pies, not dividing up old ones. Perry Marshall
I took this quote out of Perry Marshall’s newsletter.
Many of you know him as the man who figured out Google Adwords.
There is a common but erroneous belief that for you to profit in a business deal, there must be a poor sucker elsewhere who loses his shirt.
Somehow we feel that we have to hold our breath whilst divvying up the pie lest we accidentally inhale the tiny slice that is our portion.
Would it not be easier, like the man says to make a new pie?
Now, there’s a thought.
We live in the best of times, in this century where so many opportunities abound.
Most of us live in democracies that give us the freedom to choose businesses and enterprises that were not available before the advent of the phenomenon known as the internet.
The magic word is abundance as opposed to scarcity or more specifically the “scarcity mentality”.
I use this term used to denote someone who sees the hole instead of the donut.
Abundance has the connotation of being expansive, generous and giving.
I don’t know about you but I like to think that my business offers something valuable to my clients, a product or service that will improve the quality of their lives.
When I think along those lines, I am making a new pie and certainly no one has lost their shirt over this deal.
No one was ripped off, and there was no driving of a hard bargain that resulted in a winner and a loser.
We both won.
Yours in wealth, health and happiness
Your Money and Your Mindset: Interview with Mr Paul Blackburn Part 2
Paul Blackburn’s brush with prostate cancer was his wakeup call to becoming serious about wealth creation for himself. He has written this book to share the strategies that have made him a millionaire today.
In this interview he describes some of the success characteristics of his millionaire clients. These include being unafraid to ask for help with their finances. They are unconcerned with what others think of them for their frank admission that they do not know everything.
This group of people is willing and happy to pay for financial and life coaching if that is what is required to get them to the next level of achievement.
Another practical tip he has for us is to save a percentage of our income that becomes the foundation of investing in a business. This slow and steady strategy helps a person acclimate to being wealthy. In his words, “They have time to be comfortable around a lot of money and are less inclined to squander their wealth”.
Paul’s take home tip: “A well kept secret of the wealthy is that they take time out from their businesses to recharge and re-energize. This freshens their business practices and they come back to make even more money!”
Interview with Mr Paul Blackburn Part 2 (unlinked)
Your Money & Your Mindset: Interview with Mr Paul Blackburn Part 1
Interview with Mr Paul Blackburn the author of “Resolving the Money Riddle”.
Paul Blackburn is a best selling author, a highly sought after keynote speaker, and success coach. Through his seminars and workshop “The Mental Toolbox”, Paul has literally transformed the lives of over 100, 000 people in every facet including their health, finances and personal happiness.
His top 10 personal clients are collectively worth over $200 million. His millionaire clients have been unanimous in their acknowledgment that by using Paul’s techniques, they have exceeded their own expectations.
My question to Paul: Why did it take you so long to do it yourself?
Paul: “A bit of arrogance, I suppose. I considered myself smarter and therefore knew it all. It was only after coming face to face with terminal cancer and that being the chief breadwinner for my family (a loving wife, Mary and my two daughters) that I got serious about this.”
Find out why people have hang ups about money and Mr Blackburn’s advice to people wanting to better their results.
Interview Mr Paul Blackburn Part 1 (unlinked)
A Life of Abundance Without Compromise
What is a life of abundance without compromise?
So often we settle for the path of least resistance rather than uphold the values we consider sacred, values that define who we are.
I would like to think that some of our highest values include maintaining our integrity and honesty in our dealings with other people but above all, with the most important person in your life, and that is YOU.
To be honest with ourselves requires courage and for us to fly against convention and the expectations of others.
Our silence is interpreted as consent as we unwittingly become hostage to our own less than ideal circumstances.
I am reminded of the story describing the method used to catch the slender limbed spider monkey.
The clever strategy consists of placing a peanut in a heavy glass jar with a narrow neck and leaving this trap at the foot of a tree that monkey calls home.
The desire for a tasty snack compels monkey to descend from his lofty perch, and to squeeze his hand down the glass jar to pick up his treat.
So as not to lose his precious prize, monkey makes his hand into a fist with the peanut safely tucked in the palm of his hand. In doing so, he cannot pull his hand through the narrow bottleneck and the heavy jar keeps him stuck at ground level.
The dilemma for monkey is whether to let go of his peanut treat and scamper up the tree to safety and freedom or become captive to the illusion of the prize.
In the corporate world, we refer to this as the “Golden Handcuffs”.
A person stays in a soul destroying job that does not inspire or invigorate them for fear of losing their perceived financial security, sense of prestige and the outward trappings of success.
In reality they are trading their life force for a dime.
If you can identify with this scenario, then realize that this is an inequitable exchange.
No amount of money can compensate you for an existence that is less than a life lived to its fullest.
By definition, a life of abundance in every sense of the word includes great health, happy loving relationships and material wealth.
And this is a life lived without compromise.
Yours in health, wealth and happiness